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Two antibiotic-resistant organisms caused more than 8,000 excess deaths from bloodstream infections in Europe during a single year, researchers reported. The deaths occurred as a result of more than 42,000 bloodstream infections in 2007 caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli (G3CREC), according to Marlieke de Kraker, MSc, of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, and colleagues. And mathematical modeling of trends suggested that in 2015, the number of resistant bloodstream infections and associated deaths could more than double, de Kraker and colleagues reported online in PLoS Medicine.

The researchers found: S. aureus caused an estimated 108,434 bloodstream infections, of which 27,711 (or 25.6%) were methicillin-resistant.; An estimated 5,503 excess deaths and 255,683 extra bed-days were linked to MRSA. E. coli caused 163,476 bloodstream infections, including 15,183 (or 9.3%) that were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins.; An estimated 2,712 excess deaths and 120,065 extra bed-days were caused by G3CREC.; And the longer stays resulted in an estimated extra cost of 62 million Euros, or about $92.8 million.

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Microbes may play crucial role in human health, researchers discovering

Consider this: The average person’s body contains about 100 trillion cells, but only maybe one in 10 is human. This isn’t the latest Hollywood horror flick, or some secret genetic engineering experiment run amok. This, it turns out, is nature’s way: The human cells that form our skin, eyes, ears, brain and every other part of our bodies are far outnumbered by those from microbes — primarily bacteria but also viruses, fungi and a panoply of other microorganisms.

Researchers are amassing a growing body of evidence indicating that microbial ecosystems play crucial roles in keeping us healthy. Moreover, scientists are becoming more convinced that modern trends — diet, antibiotics, obsession with cleanliness, Caesarean deliveries — are disrupting this delicate balance, contributing to some of the most perplexing ailments, including asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancer and perhaps even autism.

Equipped with super-fast new DNA decoders, scientists are accelerating the exploration of this realm at a molecular level, yielding provocative insights into how these microbial stowaways may wield far greater powers than previously appreciated in, paradoxically, making us human. Some equate these microbial inhabitants to a newly recognized organ. Acquired beginning at birth, molding immune systems and calibrating fundamental metabolic functions such as energy storage and consumption. There are even clues that they may help shape brain development, influencing behavior.

Beckman Coulter, Inc. integrates laboratory automation platforms that have been used for the culture and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to improve the development of consistent embryoid bodies (EBs), decrease overall costs, and greatly increase throughput and reproducibility.

Processes developed with automated workstations from Beckman Coulter were detailed in the presentation of Directed Differentiation: A Robust, Automated Alternative to the Hanging Drop Method of Stem Cell Differentiation at the Screening Stem Cells Symposium 2011 held in Boston on Sept. 26-27. The presentation offered data demonstrating that such platforms provide more consistent embryoid body formation and enhanced cardiomyocyte formation in murine embryonic stem cells, where approximately 50 percent of the cells were contracting cardiomyocytes after eight days of differentiation.

The customized platform, process and resultant data will be the subject of a webinar broadcast on Wednesday, October 12 at 10 a.m. PST; more information is available at this website. Following the broadcast, the webinar will be available on-demand from Beckman Coulter’s website

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New! First mobile app for Immunohematology

Hemo bioscience Inc, reported that it will launch the first mobile app detailing the characteristics of blood grouping antibodies at the AABB Annual Meeting and CTTXPO 2011 being held October 22-25 in San Diego, California. The characteristics of blood grouping antibodies app will be available on iTunes beginning in the month of October. It can be used on all Apple devices which use touch screen technology. The app will be available for Android devices shortly thereafter. Both apps will be free to download.

The 3500 Series Genetic Analyzers are designed to support the demanding performance needs of validated and regulated environments while retaining the unsurpassed application versatility that researchers expect. Detect up to 6 fluorescent dyes for higher levels of multiplexing in fragment analysis applications, as well as perform Sanger Sequencing, the gold standard for confirming genetic variation. www.appliedbiosystems.com

CLSI announces upcoming webinars on risk management

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) announced three upcoming webinars on risk management. The webinars are based on the document entitled Laboratory Quality Control Based on Risk Management; Approved Guideline (EP23-A), which is scheduled to publish on October 25, 2011. In addition, several companion products to the document are in development, including a user-friendly workbook, worksheet, and several case studies that will help users to develop the right quality control plans (QCPs) for their laboratories.

The first webinar, CLSI Document EP23: Laboratory Quality Control Based on Risk Management, takes place on October 25, 2011. The webinar will define risk management and review the particulars of good laboratory practice in EP23 as they relate to the development of QCPs based on manufacturer's risk mitigation information, applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements, and the individual health care and laboratory setting.

Two additional webinars are scheduled for December 2011 and January 2012: CLSI Document EP23: Implementation Workbook Review and Discussion and CLSI Document EP23: Risk Management Practical Examples of Waived, Moderate, and High Complexity Tests. More information about the upcoming webinars can be found on the CLSI website, www.clsi.org, under the Education tab.

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CAMH study confirms genetic link to suicidal behavior

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found evidence that a specific gene is linked to suicidal behavior, adding to our knowledge of the many complex causes of suicide. This research may help doctors one day target the gene in prevention efforts. The news coincides with Mental Illness Awareness Week, World Mental Health Day, October 10.

In the past, studies have implicated the gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in suicidal behavior. BDNF is involved in the development of the nervous system. After pooling results from 11 previous studies and adding their own study data involving people with schizophrenia, CAMH scientists confirmed that among people with a psychiatric diagnosis, those with the methionine ("met") variation of the gene had a higher risk of suicidal behavior compared to those with the valine variation. About 90 percent of people who have died by suicide have at least one mental health disorder, the researchers note.

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Blood infections most costly hospital care in 2009

Septicemia, an illness caused by blood infections with bacteria such as E. coli and MRSA, was the single most expensive condition treated in U.S. hospitals at nearly $15.4 billion in 2009, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Data include cases of septicemia acquired within the community and during hospital stays.

The Federal agency also found that: The number of hospital stays principally for septicemia more than doubled between 2000 and 2009 (337,100 admissions and 836,000 admissions, respectively), making it the sixth most common principal reason for hospitalization in 2009. Complication resulting from a device, implant, or graft was the most common reason for these hospitalizations, representing one of every five septicemia-related stays.

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Click on the highlighted links below to discover last week’s top MLO archival properties concerning lab outreach, a topic that is now at the forefront of healthcare discussions.